


So Your Boss is in Love With You

by fenellaevangela



Category: People of Earth (TV 2016)
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-08
Updated: 2017-02-08
Packaged: 2018-09-22 20:36:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,340
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9624344
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fenellaevangela/pseuds/fenellaevangela
Summary: Ozzie has more than Kelly's observations to suggest that Jonathan Walsh might have feelings for him.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [days4daisy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/days4daisy/gifts).



“I think he might be in love with you.”

Instead of seeming surprised or even uncomfortable with Kelly’s suggestion, Ozzie responded with a frustrated sigh.

Kelly blinked at him. “What, am I right? Did he say something to you?”

“There may have been an – incident. Ugh, I thought we were past that.”

“Uh, would I be pushing boundaries here if I asked past _what_?” Kelly said.

This time Ozzie’s sigh was more resigned. “No, I guess not.”

“Cool,” said Kelly. “Feel free not to skip any details, if you know what I mean.”

“I’m not talking about _details_ in a coffee shop.”

Kelly held up her hands in capitulation. “Hey, whatever you’re comfortable with. So, spill.”

“Well, it was a few years ago in New York . . .”

* * *

Like most office parties hosted by Glint Enterprises, the New Year’s Eve celebration was being held in the private room of a flashy club that Ozzie had never heard of. It was over the top and the reservation and the food and the _booze_ probably cost more than Ozzie’s monthly rent – which was saying something – but he had gotten used to Jonathan Walsh’s extravagance over the last few years. And hey, it was New Year’s; he was allowed to enjoy himself.

That’s how he would justify it to himself later, anyway.

[“Ah, come on. Everyone’s embarrassed themselves at a work party once or twice,” Kelly assured him.

“Just . . . wait until you’ve heard the rest of the story,” said Ozzie.]

He was more than a few drinks in and chatting with a supervisor of some sort from the HR department whose name he couldn’t quite remember, when he felt someone behind him place their hand on his left shoulder.

“Whoa there, buddy! You’re going drink the bar dry!” exclaimed Jonathan Walsh jovially. “Hey Cheryl.”

Cheryl, as it turned out the HR supervisor was called, held her glass up as if in toast. “Happy New Year, Mr. Walsh.”

“Oh please, it’s _Jonathan_ ,” he said, then took the raised glass out of Cheryl’s surprised hand and finished the drink in one gulp. 

Cheryl blinked owlishly. “Oh . . .”

Although Ozzie was able to notice her shocked expression even through the haze of alcohol, Jonathan didn’t seem to register anything wrong. When she excused herself to get another drink, Jonathan just smiled and wished her a happy New Year.

[“Ugh, what an asshole,” Kelly said.

“You’re not wrong.”]

“You’re kind of a jackass,” Ozzie said.

“Hmm?” Jonathan, standing at Ozzie’s right side with his hand lingering on Ozzie’s left shoulder, turned his attention away from Cheryl’s retreating form. “What was that?”

“I _said_ you were just pretty rude to Cherry.”

Jonathan frowned at him. “It’s Cheryl. Are you okay? I was just joking about you drinking too much. How many have you had?”

Ozzie held up a finger. “I may . . . have lost count. I might be a little drunk, actually. And I shouldn’t be talking to my boss when I’m drunk, so I’m just going to - ”

Before he could slip out from under Jonathan’s arm – a tricky maneuver when inebriated – Jonathan began pulling him along to the back of the room, easily brushing off other guests with a smile, until the two of them passed through a door and into a dark room.

[“Wait, where is this going?” Kelly asked.

“Not where you think it is.”]

“Um,” said Ozzie.

Jonathan flicked a switch and soft lighting illuminated the room. It was a small space with a couch and a table and not much else. 

“I think you might be drunker than you realize,” Jonathan explained. “So why don’t you rest in here for a bit?”

Ozzie quirked an eyebrow. Or, he thought he did; the gesture came off more as a squint. 

“In the quiet, dimly lit private room?” he asked.

Jonathan beamed at him. “Yeah! Isn’t it nice in here? I’ll get you some water, just give me two shakes.”

By the time Jonathan returned with two bottles of water Ozzie had made himself comfortable on the couch, having taken off his shoes and loosened his tie. Why had he even worn a tie? He couldn’t remember. When Jonathan handed him one of the water bottles he glared up at him in suspicion.

“Why are you being so nice to me?” he asked. “You’re my boss. Shouldn’t you be disappointed in me for getting drunk at a work event?

Jonathan shrugged. “It’s New Year’s Eve. Everyone’s blowing off a little steam. It’s a party! And we spared no expense on the liquor; it’d be a shame not to try a little bit of everything.”

Ozzie hadn’t drunk _that_ much, but it seemed petty to argue the point. He was trying to consider an appropriate response when Jonathan decided to sit down next to him. Really, much closer than he had to. Ozzie’s suspicions doubled.

“Are you hitting on me?” he asked. Jonathan’s eyebrows rose comically high on his forehead, but Ozzie persisted. “Because it’s unethical to hit on drunk people _or_ employees, so a drunk employee is, like, doubly unethical - ”

“Ozz- ”

“ - and even though I’d sorta be into it I’m an _award-winning journalist_ and sleeping with your boss is tacky. And unprofessional. And did I mention that you’re kind of a jackass?”

[“. . . No offense, Ozzie, but it kind of sounds like you’re the one into him?” said Kelly.

Ozzie sighed. “I’m not done yet.”]

Jonathan didn’t say anything right away, but he did shift further away from Ozzie on the couch. His eyes never looked away, and he seemed startled. Ozzie played back his entire tirade in his head and winced. God, he was drunk.

“Hey, can we forget I just said all that?” Ozzie asked. “I’m _definitely_ too drunk to be talking to my boss, so I’m just going to call a cab.”

Jonathan’s hand shot out and gripped Ozzie’s wrist before he could get up. “Wait.”

Ozzie waited, not expecting anything good. If he had been less drunk he would’ve been able to appreciate what happened next more, but even so it was surprisingly positive.

“Let me get something clear,” said Jonathan. “I wasn’t hitting on you. But if I had been you’d be interested?”

“Uh. Yeah. Yeah, I would. But - ”

Jonathan shifted the grip he still had on Ozzie’s wrist to allow the pad of his thumb to rest gently over Ozzie’s pulse. Ozzie forgot what he was about to say. He looked up and Jonathan smiled at him. It was weird; usually, Ozzie found Jonathan’s smile smarmy or affected, but together on that couch with a veneer of alcohol coating Ozzie’s worldview, all he could see there was genuine joy. He smiled back.

“Well, it is New Year’s Eve,” Jonathan reminded him. “Do you have anyone to kiss at midnight?

Ozzie’s heart pounded embarrassingly. “No.”

“Would you like to kiss me?” Jonathan punctuated the question by moving back into Ozzie’s personal space.

“Uh,” Ozzie fumbled in his pocket and pulled out his phone. It was already past midnight - with the sounds of the club muffled by the room’s walls they’d missed the ball drop. “It’s 12:04. Maybe next - ”

He barely had time to look up from his phone before Jonathan had put his hand on Ozzie’s face, gently adjusted the angle of his jaw, and pressed their lips together. It wasn’t much of a kiss. Ozzie’s heart leapt anyway. God, he was drunk.

“Happy New Year, Ozzie.”

* * *

“Ozzie, holy shit. He’s so into you, dude! That’s, like, total rom-com material. You two didn’t hook up after that?”

Ozzie rolled his eyes. “ _No_ , Kelly. We’ve established that he’s a jackass, right?”

“Uh, a jackass who’s definitely in love with you,” Kelly said. “You two just went back to working together after that? That must have been awk-ward.”

“Yeah, that conversation wasn’t fun,” Ozzie admitted. “But this is what I’m saying! We talked about it and agreed nothing was ever going to happen. It’s been years – do you really think he’s been into me this whole time?”

Kelly shrugged. “I think you need to ask him.”


End file.
